GT25's Battle Series: Luke Skywalker vs Thel 'Vadam
by gojiratoho25
Summary: Tenth episode of the Battle Series. In my new installment, we will compare Jedi Master of the New Republic against the Commander-in-Chief of the Swords of Sangheili to see who would win in a hypothesized battle to the death. No actual battle, just my thoughts about who would win in my opinion. R&R and no Flame Wars.


**GT25's Battle Series: Luke Skywalker vs. Thel 'Vadam**

 _Luke Skywalker, the New Republic, and any related material is owned by the Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, and George Lucas. Thel 'Vadam, the Swords of Sangheili, and any related material is owned by Bungie, Inc., 343 Industries, and Microsoft Studios._

Greeting, and welcome to the latest installment of the Battle Series. In this series, we will compare warriors from the multitude of universes to see who would win in a hypothetical battle to the death. For this installment, I will be comparing the Jedi Master of the New Republic against the Commander-in-Chief of the Swords of Sangheili to see who would win. For this installment, I will be using the Legends Canon of Luke Skywalker during the events of the _Dark Empire_ series and using Thel 'Vadam from his first appearance in _Halo 2_ to _Halo 5: Guardians_ to ensure that both combatants are at their best in the fight. For this battle, I will compare their physiology, powers/weapons, abilities, battlefield experience, strengths/weaknesses, x-factor, and aliases. Knowing that not everyone knows just what happened with these characters in their canon, I will provide their histories to ensure everyone is on the same level of what these characters have done.

* * *

 **History of the Characters**

The son of the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and the Naboo senator Padmé Amidala, Luke was born on Polis Massa before being raised by his aunt and uncle on the planet Tatooine. However, at the age of nineteen, his uncle purchased the droids C-3P0 and R2-D2 before delivered a message from Princess Leia Organa to the exiled Jedi Master and friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Given his father's lightsaber by Kenobi, his choice of leaving the planet with Kenobi was chosen after finding his home destroyed and his aunt and uncle haven been killed by the Empire. He would leave his home world to train as a Jedi and would rescue the princess with the smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca while witnessing the death of his master at the hands of Darth Vader.

Joining the Rebel Alliance soon after escaping the first Death Star, Luke would later take part in the fabled Battle of Yavin where he made the miracle shot that caused the destruction of the Death Star. Over the next three years, the young Jedi will take part in many of the most important battles of the Galactic Civil War before receiving training from Yoda on the planet Dagobah. When he confronted Darth Vader in Cloud City soon after, he learned a horrifying truth: the Sith Lord was his father, haven fallen to the dark side and helped destroy the Jedi Order. After leaving the planet with his allies, he would take part in a few more operations with the Rebellion before confronting his father again the next year on the second Death Star.

Emerging victorious, Luke refused to turn to the dark side and Emperor Palpatine, who was overseeing the completion of the super weapon, lashed out at him in anger. However, Vader refused to let his son die and proceeded to kill the Emperor before dying shortly after as the redeemed Jedi Anakin. However, Palpatine would return six years later thanks to transferring his spirit into clone bodies and Luke took a gamble on becoming his apprentice to destroy the dark side from within. Despite nearly falling down the same path as his father, the plan would succeed with Luke and his allies corning the last clone before destroying the Sith Lord's spirit. The Jedi Master would then set about rebuilding the Jedi Order and would eventually become the Grand Master of the New Jedi Order.

* * *

Near the end of the year 2485, Thel was born into the family who were the rulers of the powerful State of Vadam on his home planet of Sanghelios. Trained by his relative Lak 'Vadamee in the ways of the warrior, he would join the Covenant military and would soon gain the rank of Shipmaster and earned the title of Kaidon within his keep. Taking part during the Human-Covenant War, he would take part in the Battle of the Rubble in the year 2535 and would kill his comrade, Zhar, when his friend attempted to kill the High Prophets of Truth and Regret. This act saved him as he was spared by the High Prophet of Truth and given command over a ship in the newly assembled Fleet of Particular Justice.

Between the years of 2535 and 2552, his combat prowess and exceptional leadership earned him the rank of the Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice and led the Covenant forces at the Fall of Reach. However, after the destruction of Installment 04, Thel was branded a heretic by the High Council and stripped of his rank, title, name, and honor before receiving the "Mark of Shame" upon his chest. Sentenced to death, the Prophets of Truth and Mercy offered to overturn the sentence if he became the new Arbiter. Accepting this offer, Thel would take part in the Battle of the Gas Mine and the Battle of the Quarantine Zone when he was betrayed by the Covenant and informed about the intended genocide of the Sangheili.

After being convinced by the Gravemind and the Master Chief the true purpose behind the Halos, the Arbiter would form a truce with a group of UNSC Marines to stop the activation of Installment 05. Reaching the control room of the Halo, he battled the Jiralhanae Chieftain Tartarus and would kill Tartarus before escaping the Installment. After this battle, Thel would change his name back to his surname and joined with the rest of the Sangheili against their former allies. Teaming up with the Master Chief, Thel would battle his way to the Prophet of Truth before killing the San'Shyuum after the human deactivate the Halo Array. Thel would later become the Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Swords of Sangheili and lead them in the following war against the Jiralhanae.

* * *

 **Physiology**

Luke Skywalker is a twenty-nine year old human male. However, Luke is unlike many other humans as he is Force-sensitive, allowing him to use the Force. He is in excellent health and in peak physical condition, allowing him to engage in lightsaber duels against other Force-wielders. After losing his right hand during his duel with Darth Vader on Bespin, Luke's hand was replaced by a mechanical hand that, while allowing him to shrug off minor blaster bolts to that area, provided no noticeable benefits beyond the needs of a hand.

* * *

Thel 'Vadam is a seventy-two year old Sangheili male. The Sangheili are a reptilian race with quadruple hinged mandibles with conical teeth and have two hearts. The Sangheili are renowned for their great strength and intelligence, along with their bravery and honor being praised. Much like other Sangheili, Thel has two fingers and two thumbs on each hand which are much larger than human fingers and thumbs. After the destruction of Installment 04, the "Mark of Shame" was branded on his chest for failing to prevent the loss of the relic. While the "Mark of Shame" does not cause any hindrance to him, it is noteworthy as it is something that not many of his people have.

* * *

 _Verdict:_ This is a simple call to make, but I will give a bit of explanation so that no one gets the wrong idea. While Luke's mechanical right hand and Thel's "Mark of Shame" have no impact on the match, Luke's Force-sensitivity allows him to use the Force while Thel has two hearts that allow him to briefly keep fighting if one is taken out. While I won't get into Luke's abilities in the Force here, a Sangheili has many more advantages over a human and this match up is no exception. While it is unknown how long the Sangheili live, it is possible that Thel's age could give Luke a slight advantage as Luke is forty-three years younger and in his prime. Despite this, Thel 'Vadam gets the edge due to his Sangheili biology.

 **Aliases**

By the time of _Dark Empire_ , Luke Skywalker has gone under the aliases of 'Jundland', 'Lars Dunestrider', 'Korl Marcus', and as 'Jade'.

* * *

From what I can find, Thel would be referred to as "Thel 'Vadamee" upon joining the military and as "the Arbiter" upon gaining that rank.

* * *

 _Verdict:_ This doesn't really factor into the fight, but I always find it interesting to find out what these warriors go under. Despite having only two other names, Thel has the better aliases especially with the name 'Arbiter'.

 **Battlefield Experience**

Upon reaching the Yavin Base, Luke was made an official member of the Rebellion and, after some time in the base's flight simulators, took part in the Battle of Yavin. During the battle, Luke made a last run on the trench to the thermal exhaust port and, with a last second arrival of the _Millennium Falcon_ , Luke used the Force to direct his proton torpedoes to their target, which results in destroying the Death Star. Within two weeks after the battle, the young Jedi participated in destroying the _Imperial I_ -class Star Destroyer _Liquidator_ , helped the Alliance collect new X-Wings which he managed to take down a TIE Fighter with his father's lightsaber, fought in the Battle of Vactooine, and traveled to Bonadan and the Unknown Regions.

After undergoing several more missions with the Rebellion, Luke and Leia crash landed on the planet of Mimban in 2 ABY where they met with a Force-sensitive old woman named Halla. When the three found the Kaiburr crystal in the ancient Temple of Pomojema, the young Jedi amazingly managed to hold off Darth Vader in a battle thanks to the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi guiding his actions and being empowered by the Kaiburr crystal. Upon being transferred to Echo Base alongside Rogue Squadron in 3 ABY, Luke participated in regular patrol of the perimeter. After escaping from a Wampa that attacked him, the young Jedi participated in the Battle of Hoth as the leader of the Rogue Squadron in the airspeeders. Even after his airspeeder was shot down, Luke managed to single-handedly destroyed two Imperial AT-ATs.

Once he left his training with Yoda to save his friends on Cloud City, Luke engaged Darth Vader in a fierce lightsaber battle before his right hand was cut off by the Dark Lord's lightsaber. After his hand was replaced and he built his own lightsaber, the now Jedi Knight fought and killed the Rancor owned by Jabba the Hutt before participating in the Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon where he killed several of Jabba's guards. When Luke accompanies his friends on the mission to the forest moon of Endor, the Jedi Knight left his friends to their mission and surrendered to Imperial Forces. During the Battle of Endor, Luke once again engaged his father in a duel where he emerged victorious and, after Darth Vader killed the Emperor, managed to escape the second Death Star before it was destroyed.

After the Battle of Endor, the Jedi Knight would continue fighting for the newly created New Republic in the Nagai-Tof War and the Battle of Mindor. Even when he resigned from being a general of the New Republic, Luke continued to fight on the front lines such as during the Thrawn Crisis in 8 ABY. In 10 ABY, he would once again combat the Sith when he discovered that the Emperor survived by transferring his spirit into clone bodies. Pledging himself to the Emperor, he did so in an attempt to destroy the dark side from within. However, Luke almost lost himself to the dark side until he was brought back to the light with the help of his sister. Ultimately, Luke and his allies were able to corner the Emperor and destroy his spirit, banishing the dark lord from the plane of existence.

* * *

After training with his relative Lak 'Vadamee in his youth, Thel joined the Covenant military and fought alongside the Covenant when they attacked a human colony called Madrigal. Soon after the attack, the Sangheili gained the rank of Shipmaster and earned the title of Kaidon within his keep. Early in his rule as Kaidon, Thel was attacked by three Sangheili assassins armed with Energy Swords and he managed to kill all three without getting a scratch on him. Soon after, the Arbiter took command over a Covenant Destroyer called the " _Retribution's Thunder_ " to participate in the Battle of Charybdis IX in 2535.

When he was sent by the High Prophet of Regret to the 23 Librae system to track down the source of weapons trader along with the Kig-Yar vessel " _A Psalm Every Day_ ", Thel and his crew took part in the Battle of the Rubble and managed to survive the battle. Between the years 2535 and 2552, Thel earned the rank of the Fleet of Particular Justice's Supreme Commander and, during his time as the Supreme Commander, became responsible for over one billion human casualties, the loss of at least seven planets, the destruction of over one hundred twenty-three human vessels during fleet action, and the deaths of over twenty-three thousand personal of the United Nations Space Command.

Along with all of these stats, the Arbiter led Covenant forces at the Fall of Reach in the year 2552. After failing to protect the Installment 04, Thel became an Arbiter and took part in the Battle of the Gas Mine, a mission that he managed to survive despite the fact that he was to die during the battle. Upon being sent to participate in the Battle of the Quarantine Zone, Thel was betrayed by his allies and, after joining others of his race to save a group of captured Sangheili Councilors along with a group of UNSC Marines, joined forces with the humans to prevent the Jiralhanae Tartarus from activating Installment 05.

After fighting through several Jiralhanae Honor Guards before facing Tartarus, the Sangheili fought against the Tartarus and emerged victorious with aid from his allies. Upon arriving on Earth with his new human allies, the Arbiter aided the humans during the defense of a UNSC base, the "Crow's Nest", from Covenant Loyalist invaders. When he met back up with his allies after the base was leveled, Thel and his allies took part in the Battle of Tsavo before his forces regrouped with the UNSC. During the Battle of Installment 00, the Sangheili helped his ally Master Chief John-119 deactivate generators on Installment 00 to lower the shield around it before killing the High Prophet of Truth.

After taking part in destroying the Flood, Thel took part in the Sangheili-Jiralhanae War five years after the end of the Human-Covenant War. When Thel took part in a peace conference on Ealen IV, the meeting were soon ambushed by the Covenant Remnant trying to stop the negotiations from taking place. After the group sealed themselves in a parts depot, the Arbiter along with a few others of the group worked out a plan of escape and, despite some accusations from the Jiralhanae who were in the meeting, the group managed to make it out. Unfortunately, Thel and the leaders of the Jiralhanae did not reach an agreement and soon after fought in the Battle of Sunaion against the Covenant Remnant.

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 _Verdict:_ To start out with, Thel has an advantage of having participated in their respective wars longer at twenty-four years when compared to the ten years of war Luke has been in. Additional, the Sangheili has led the forces under his control into more battles than the Jedi and has fought on both sides of the Human-Covenant War. Both have taken part in battles that changed the course of the wars they've been in and even took part in battles that resulted in the lose of the side they were serving, Thel with the destruction of Installment 04 and Luke with the Battle of Hoth.

Now, this isn't saying that Luke doesn't have as much experience as Thel on the battlefield. How I see it, Luke has more experience fighting on the front lines while Thel has more experience in leading armored forces. The advantage that Thel has over Luke is that he's taken part in both the Human-Covenant War and the Sangheili-Jiralhanae War as well as having spent more years fighting against his enemies. The Galactic Civil War may be much different than these two wars, but the Jedi still didn't participate in it as long as the Sangheili in the two wars in his universe. Thel 'Vadam gets the edge for battlefield experience.

 **Strengths/Weaknesses**

Less than a week after joining the Rebellion, Luke was able to fly a T-65B X-Wing Fighter and managed to destroy the Death Star using the Force to guide his proton torpedoes. Nearly two weeks after the destruction of the Death Star, the young Jedi was able to take down a TIE Fighter using only his father's lightsaber. On the planet of Mimban and on board the second Death Star, Luke has managed to defeat Darth Vader in the duels that the two participated in. During the Battle of Hoth, Luke managed to take down two Imperial AT-ATs on his own.

During his final duel against Darth Vader, the Jedi Knight used a reverse of Dun Möch on his father that allowed Darth Vader to redeem himself and bring balance to the Force. In his second duel with Lumiya, Luke had emerged victorious and the Jedi Knight managed to get past her custom light-whip. During the Second Battle of Coruscant in 10 ABY, Luke took down an Imperial AT-AT using the Force along with protecting himself from a laser blast using the Force and his lightsaber alone. Later on the Jedi Master battled against the clone of Darth Sidious during the Battle of Pinnacle Base and emerged victorious.

However, Luke has suffered as many defeats as he has victories. During his duel against Darth Vader on Bespin, the young Jedi lost to the Dark Lord of the Sith and lost his right hand at the end of the duel. As the duel continued, Darth Vader managed to use the Dun Möch tactic of psychological warfare to gain an advantage against the young Jedi. During the Battle of Endor, the Jedi Knight has his mind read by his father and once again seemed to fall for the Dun Möch tactic. When Luke attempted to make sure that Darth Sidious never came back, one of the Sidious clones fought against the Jedi Master and emerged victorious against Luke.

When Luke fought against Lumiya in their first duel, her lightwhip managed to allow her to emerge victorious against the Jedi Knight. On the other side of the scale, the young Jedi managed to emerge victorious against Darth Vader on Mimban due to the fact that Luke has his actions guided by the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi and empowered by the Kaiburr crystal. Likewise, years later when he fought against the Darth Sidious clone, his sister aided him by using Force Harmony to strengthen him and allowing him to defeat the Sith Lord.

* * *

Early on in his rule as a Kaidon, Thel took on three Sangheili assassins armed with Energy Swords and managed to kill all three without getting a scratch on him. When he went into the Human-Covenant War, Thel managed to kill over twenty-three thousand personal of the UNSC during his time as the Supreme Commander and was responsible for the loss of at least seven human worlds. Towards the end of him being the Supreme Commander, he led Covenant forces at the Fall of Reach. As an Arbiter, the Sangheili survived the Battle of the Gas Mine even though the battle was suppose to be a suicide mission for him.

After the Sangheili joined the humans against their former allies, Thel fought against the Jiralhanae Tartarus and emerged victorious after taking out several Jiralhanae Honor Guards. During the Battle of Installment 00, the Arbiter helped the Master Chief deactivate generators to lower the barrier around the Artifact and killed the High Prophet of Truth. However, a few of these feats will need a second look at them. When he emerged victorious against Tartarus, he had the help of several other Sangheili and Sergeant Major Avery Johnson. Along with that, the High Prophet of Truth was one hundred fifty-six years old and was held by his throat by the much younger Sangheili before being "silenced".

After his failure to ensure the safety of Installment 04, Thel was striped of his Supreme Commander ranking, branded with the "Mark of Shame", and sentence to death. However, his sentence was changed so that he could be an Arbiter and hopefully find honor upon his death in battle. Considering that the two missions that he was sent on that were supposed to be his last were survived, it is a worthy mention of his willingness to survive.

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 _Verdict:_ This section is a bit difficult, as both warriors have taken on swordsmen from their own universe and have had their own failures in some of their battles. Despite Thel's greater leadership that he's gained through the Human-Covenant War, I would say that his skills on the battlefield are either slightly less or on par with Luke, who has been on the front lines of battles. While Luke has lost battles against Darth Vader and Lumiya, these fights did have certain circumstances that ultimately caused Luke to be defeated. When he fought Darth Vader on Bespin, the Dark Lord had set a trap for Luke and, over the course of their battle, ensured to use the Dun Möch tactic to gain a psychological advantage along with his unlimited stamina and endurance thanks to his suit.

By the end of their duel, Luke had been battered along with being attacked psychological to the point that Vader cornered him and severed his hand, disarming him both literally and figuratively. On the other hand, the Light-whip of Lumiya was so unusual that Luke was unable to find a way around it during their first fight. However, when they fought a second time, Luke used a second, shorter lightsaber to combat her unusual weapon and ultimately emerged as the victor of their battle. Likewise, Thel's failure to protect Installment 04 is less of a mark against him and more of a military defeat with the Humans emerging victorious through military might. When looking at the losses that both Thel and Luke have gone through, there really is no comparison as their defeats are so different to what the other has experienced.

Therefore, it falls to the warrior with the greater amount of victories they've had. While Luke was able to destroy the Death Star despite only discovering his use of the Force and piloting skills, the Sangheili was able to survive the Battle of the Gas Mine when it should have killed him due to it being a suicide mission. This situation would be the same for nearly all their victories except for one, so what causes either warrior to get the edge is Luke's victory over the reborn Palpatine and Thel's victory over the Jiralhanae Tartarus. While both warriors did have outside help to emerge victorious, Thel had more help in the form of other Sangheili and Sergeant Major Johnson. On the other hand, Luke had help from his sister Leia to defeat the reborn Emperor.

Another thing to take into consideration is the magnitude of their opponent, which I feel the reborn Palpatine has the advantage over Jiralhanae Tartarus. To put Luke's victory into perspective, Luke is one of six Jedi to fight Darth Sidious, one of three to last more than a minute, one of two who came out of the fight with their life, and the ONLY Jedi to emerge victorious against him. Not only that, but Darth Sidious is often considered one of, if not, THE strongest Sith Lord in galactic history. On the other hand, Tartarus was the last Chieftain of the Jiralhanae and the second-in-command for the Prophet of Truth. Seriously, that's really all I could find for in-universe information, the only other information was that in the mechanics of the game he effective functioned as the final boss.

While Thel's victory over Tartarus is impressive despite how much help he did get, I believe that Luke's victory against Darth Sidious is much more concrete for this analysis. Ultimately, I will give Skywalker a slight edge for his victory over Darth Sidious, but only because Sidious was essentially one of the greatest warriors in the Star Wars universe.

 **Abilities**

Considering that he had an unknown rifle when attacked by a Tusken Raider before delivering Leia's message to Ben Kenobi, Luke is a capable marksman as demonstrating when Luke used an E-11 Blaster Rifle against Stormtroopers. Even when he used his lightsaber on a regular basis, the Jedi wasn't afraid to use a blaster as shown when he used a blaster pistol on Cloud City and when he tried to use another pistol against Jabba the Hutt. Aside from his skills as a marksman, Luke is an expert pilot much like his father as he was able to evade Darth Vader during the Trench Run and even land the crashing _Imperial I_ -class Star Destroyer _Liberator_ with almost no loss of life.

When it comes to unarmed combat, the Jedi was proficient in the art as he was able to defeat Gari, who was an expert in unarmed combat, and even used physical attacks when he was in lightsaber combat, defeating enemies like Jabba's thugs and even kicking Darth Vader down a stair case during their final duel. On the topic of combat arts, Luke is proficient at lightsaber combat despite his limited training thanks to his strength in the Force. Due to the nature of this match-up, I will give a brief summary of the styles he uses as going into detail would be pointless given the match.

Luke is a specialist in Form V lightsaber combat, otherwise known as Shien and Djem So, which allows for redirecting blaster bolts back to the user from the former and for performing immediate counter-attack after defending against an attacker from the latter. Speaking of defense, he also used Soresu, or Form III, to give a tight defense and blocking blaster bolts when against blaster users. Finally, given his acrobatics and physical attacks, he also had training in Form IV, typically known as Ataru.

However, Luke's most amazing ability was his use of the Force. While he didn't reach his full potential until later on in life, he was still a capable Force-user despite having limited training. One of his most frequent powers is Force Augmentation, where he boosted his reflexes, speed, and strength to superhuman levels. This allows him to perform blast deflection and allow him to compete against Darth Vader's mechanically augmented strength. His telepathic skills were capable, with Luke being able to use the basic Mind Trick that allowed him to compel weak willed subjects to do his bidding.

However, strong willed individuals such as Hutts were beyond his ability to manipulate, as shown in Jabba's Palace. Luke's telekinetic skills were considerable as he is capable of manipulating objects and even performed this without the use of hand gestures. A few notable examples were the Jedi Master lifting the seat C-3P0 was sitting in while they were in the Ewok village and knocking down an Imperial AT-AT by pressing against it. In combat, Luke regularly used the Force to push or blast his opponents back with ease, even penetrating the Force Shields of opposing Force users including a reborn Emperor Palpatine.

When looking further at his telepathic abilities, Luke was able to conjure an illusion of himself with his Force signature to fool his friends while he remained on Byss to destroy the clones of Palpatine. Considering that he appeared to Leia using this power, he is capable of communicating long distances using the ability. However, his most impressive ability is Force Harmony, where he is able to combine his Force energy with that of other Jedi in a pure and powerful manifestation of the light side. He used this ability along with Leia and her unborn son Anakin Solo to separate the reborn Palpatine from the dark side and loose control over the Force Storm he had summoned moments before.

A power that he often employed in battle was Tutaminus, which allows him to absorb and redirect energy-based attacks, such as blaster bolts. In the original _Return of the Jedi_ novelization, Luke was initially successful in blocking the Force Lightning of Palpatine using this ability. While he was overpowered by the Emperor, the fact that he had any success at all means that he could contend with Force Lightning by the time of _Dark Empire_. This does seem plausible as Luke was able to successful absorb the laser blasts from an Imperial AT-AT walker.

Unlike other Jedi, Luke was capable of Force-based strangulation against his opponents, which he most likely learned after his first bout with Vader. While Luke was reluctant to use his abilities unless absolutely necessary, this mind-set doesn't detract from the Jedi's potential and skill.

* * *

Trained by his relative Lax 'Vadamee in the ways of the warrior, Thel is very experienced in combat and has extensive knowledge of every weapon and vehicle he has used in many battles. He is an expert marksman as demonstrated by wielding various firearms and expressing interest in human weapons before allying himself with the UNSC. However, some firearms such as the Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol and the M6G PDWS he will struggle to put his hands around due to their size. Additional, he was trained in the art of swordsmanship and in use of the Type-1 Energy Sword.

While there is very little information of what the training he received with the blade, Thel was a master swordsman with a standout being how he killed three assassins armed with the same weapon without getting a scratch on him. Along with his use of the Type-1 Energy Sword, he used the Active Camo that his armor used to take out opponents with his blade to bolster its usefulness. Thanks in part to his biology, Thel could jump large distances and have superior agility when compared to other Covenant races and humans. Haven grown in a high-gravity environment on his home world, his additional strength would likely allow him to be more powerful on planets with lower gravity.

Giving this strength that he has, it is possible for Thel to overpower opponents weaker than him such as humans in unharmed combat. However, much like others of his species, Thel was notable in his intelligence as seen by becoming the Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice and his track record during the Human-Covenant War. Keeping true with his title as "Arbiter", he often tries to negotiate with some of his other enemies and only kill when forced to do so.

* * *

 _Verdict:_ This one is very simple to call, but I will elaborate so that no one gets the wrong idea. Both Luke and Thel are proficient in marksmanship and can make use of unarmed combat, Luke being a master of it and Thel being able to use his natural strength against an opponent. While Thel does have more experience in wielding firearms, I would be say that Luke would be better at incorporating his physical attacks against an opponent. While both are impressive, they aren't much of a factor due to Luke's knowledge of blasters and Thel's biology being harder for physical attacks to be used.

When looking at their skills with a blade, both are master swordsman and their training has allowed both to take on those with similar skills in their universe. However, I feel that Luke's lightsaber combat is superior to Thel's sword training as Luke has more styles to rely on. Luke could use Soresu to defend against Thel's attacks, maneuver his way around Thel using Ataru, and commit to his own offensive using Djem So. However, I don't think the Jedi would immediately take out the Sangheili thanks to Thel's training and his intelligence. In fact, I think that Thel could find a way to counter Luke's lightsaber styles should either break off and they get into a standoff.

Despite all this, what ultimately decides this is Luke's use of the Force. Simply put, Thel has NOTHING to counter Luke's abilities. Thel has never encountered anyone similar to a Force wielder before, so he would be left scrambling when Luke calls upon his power in the Force. By augmenting his body to superhuman levels, Luke can contend with Thel's strength similar to how he contended with Darth Vader. A simple Force Push would blast the Sangheili back and the Jedi can use Force Choke on Thel to leave him open to attack. Luke's augmented speed would allow him to block or maneuver around the ammo used by whatever firearm Thel uses and can even use Tutaminus to absorb any energy blasts from the Covenant firearms.

However, much of Luke's abilities would have no use in regards some of his powers. He would have no real use of his Force-based illusions and Force Harmony requires combining his power with other Jedi, which won't happen in a one on one match on even ground. Additional, Thel's intelligence would help him as I feel he would be immune to the Mind Trick. When looking at the rest of his abilities, the Active Camo of Thel's armor and his biological advantages are rendered useless. Even if the Active Camo lasted longer than ten seconds, Luke would still be able to sense his location in the Force. Looking back at Force Augmentation, the Jedi could match the Sangheili jumping long distances and superior agility so that they were on the same level.

This advantage is what allows Luke to take this category, as he uses the Force along with his use of the Lightsaber and unarmed combat. While Thel can match the Jedi when it comes to some of his abilities, he is ultimately unable to compete with the power of the Force. Luke Skywalker takes the edge for abilities.

 **Powers/Weapons**

After losing his father's lightsaber on Bespin, Luke created a new lightsaber that he modeled after the weapon of his first master Obi-Wan Kenobi. The weapon utilizes a single green synthetic lightsaber crystal to produce the blade, but during the events of _Dark Empire_ it briefly utilized a single red synthetic crystal before changing the crystal back to his original one. Additional, he wore armor that was a stripped back version of his father's suit made up of an armorweave suit and gloves as the base layer with layered grieves on his shins. Armorweave is an armored cloth material that is capable of dissipating blaster bolts and has a limited resistence to lightsaber attacks.

During his time fighting against the Galactic Empire, Luke also used blasters and other weapons given to the soldiers of the Rebellion to use against his foes. One that he used often is the Model 57 Blaster Pistol, a weapon similar to the more recognizable DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol and often mistaken as the latter. While never shown, it is said that Luke used a DH-17 Blaster Rifle, a E-17d Sniper Rifle, and Thermal Detonators. However, after the Battle of Endor and during the events of _Dark Empire_ , it is unknown if he continued to use blasters or if he stopped using such weapons. Since I have already covered his use of the Force, I will not discuss these abilities in this section.

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As a Sangheili, Thel wore the Combat Harness that is standard for the soldier of his species that is equipped with the Sangheili Personal Energy Shield. This energy shield is much like the shield built into the MJOLNIR armor, being able to protect the wearer and will recharge after being depleted. Some variations of this armor even has the ability to protect the user against direct hits from an M19 Rocket Launcher. However, this energy shield is susceptible to damage received from plasma-based weapons.

The shield can be drained completely should they be hit by an overcharged shot from a Plasma Pistol, a punch from a SPARTAN-II like Master Chief, or a slash from a Brute Shot or Energy Sword. These shields could also be bypassed by using a Needler and either a Plasma Grenade or Spike Grenade will stick to the Sangheili if the shield is fully charged. Along with this shield, Thel is able to use a Forerunner devise called "Active Camo" to turn render him almost invisible for up to ten seconds to his foes.

When it comes to his use of weapons, Thel typically used weapons that his species under the Covenant Empire used, such as the Type-25 Direct Energy Rifle. Also called the "Plasma Rifle", this rifle fired super heated plasma at targets in a short to medium area of range. He also uses the Type-51 Carbine, a weapon that could fire fuel rods at an opponent up to six hundred meters away from the user. When combating foes in close quarters combat, Thel wields the Type-1 Energy Sword that produces two four-foot plasma blades that can block bullets and is most adapted as a thrusting weapon based on its design, though it could be used to slice into an opponent.

Another weapon in his arsenal is the Prophet's Bane, a personal weapon that is a Type-1 Energy Sword that was in his clan's vault before he found it after the Human-Covenant War. While it is unknown if Thel wields the Prophet's Bane along with the normal Type-1 Energy Sword, it is possible that Thel only wields his personal Energy Sword on its own. Thel has many more weapons that he can use, but these are the basic weapons in his arsenal that he will have on hand most of the time.

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 _Verdict:_ While this is a simple verdict to call, I will explain my reasoning behind the verdict. Starting off, the armor that both are bringing don't really impact the match-up all that much. Considering that a Lightsaber's blade is composed of plasma, that means that the armor will lose it's energy shield in one hit similar to an Energy Sword. On the flip side, Luke's armor could protect him from Thel's firearms, but would only take light hits from the Type-1 Energy Sword. Looking at both firearms the Sangheili is bringing into combat, the Plasma Rifle and Type-51 Carbine could possibly be rendered useless by the Lightsaber.

In this case, the blade could possibly deflect the ammo (which might not work with a fuel rod) and allow Luke to close the distance to destroy the weapons. Finally, we have to address the elephant in the room, the Lightsaber vs. Energy Sword debate. In this case, I will be assuming that it is Luke's Lightsaber against the Prophet's Bane as it is unknown if Thel had a regular Energy Sword along with his personal weapon. In my opinion, this comparison is tipped in favor of Luke due to two factors, one of which is the blade placement.

The lightsaber is very comparable to a medieval longsword with the blade positioned at the top of the hand. This allows the blade to follow the hand when being used and allows the user to let up with the wrists when blocking an attack. The Type-1 Energy Sword, on the other hand, is much like a push dagger or katar with the blade positioned at the front of the hand. This means that the user's attacks will be telegraphed in advance and the user's wrist will be strained when blocking an attack. Due to what they are comparable to in the real world, the lightsaber has a greater advantage when blocking and in having more ways of attacking an opponent.

Another thing to consider is the circumstances of the weapon's creations along with how they have evolved from their first creation. In the Star Wars universe, the Lightsaber was first created to be used by a Force-user in single combat with another Force-user and this is demonstrated by the first two forms of Lightsaber combat. However, once blaster technology became widely available, the Lightsaber was still used by Force-users with newer forms being developed to make up for the weaknesses of earlier ones. Even when looking past Luke's time, the Lightsaber that was used had remained the same with little deviation.

In the Halo universe, little is known about when the Type-1 Energy Sword was created by the Sangheili. However, the design of the weapon and its usage suggests that it's original purpose was to be used on the battlefield as a melee weapon, similar to real world combat knives and modern bayonets. While this does mean that the Type-1 Energy Sword is more suitable for the battlefield, it also means that it isn't as flexible as the Lightsaber. A battlefield is not a place where experiments can be conducted, as any failure will result in death.

In my opinion, this is were the Lightsaber truly shines above the Energy Sword, as the Jedi have had millennia to create new forms of combat to allow for the continued use of the Lightsaber. On the other hand, the Type-1 Energy Sword hasn't changed at all due to it being created for the purposes of war and the only options of trying to make-up for the disadvantages is through other means. Simply put, I feel that the Lightsaber's flexibility and its design makes it a better weapon over the Type-1 Energy Sword's purpose on the battlefield.

While I think Luke is bringing the superior close combat and overall weapon, it is Thel that has this category because he is bringing more weapons to the fight compared to the Jedi. As impressive as the Lightsaber is, the Sangheili's weaponry gives him more options in the fight and he could use it to keep the Jedi at a distance. If Luke was bringing the blaster weapons, this would have been a draw as they would have had similar equipment and armor. However, this is not the case and Thel 'Vadam gets the edge due to the weaponry he is bringing.

 **X-Factor**

In terms of an X-Factor, Luke's connection to the Force is perhaps the greatest factor that gives him an edge in battles against other Force users. In order to understand the true scope of Luke's strength in the Force, one must understand his father's connection to the Force. His father had the potential to become the most powerful Force-user living, with the potential of surpassing both Darth Sidious and Yoda. However, his father never realized his potential before his use of the Force was crippled after losing much of his living tissue.

This potential was inherited by Luke and made him one of the most powerful Force-users in the galactic history. While the magnitude of his use of the Force didn't show itself until after the events of _Dark Empire_ , his connection was still seen as he was able to become proficient with the lightsaber with minimal training. In addition, it was this connection in the Force that allowed Luke to guide his proton torpedoes into the Death Star's exhaust port where the previous attempt only impacted on the surface of the space station.

During the events of _Dark Empire_ , Luke's Force abilities had grown from when he first used them from the Battle of Yavin. At this time, the Jedi could fight against other Force-users and even was capable of matching the strength of the clone of Darth Sidious during a blade lock. The fact that Luke has the power to match the Darth Sidious clone and several Force-wielders who were under his command proves how powerful the connection Luke has to the Force at this point in his life. The only other Jedi who were able to match Palpatine in a lightsaber battle were Mace Windu and Yoda.

In fact, Luke was capable of using his Force Push to penetrate the Force shields of opposing Force-wielders. This was done most notably against the Darth Sidious clone, where he used a simple Force Push to push the clone into a wall. While the clone was caught off guard by the attack, the fact that Luke was able to do that with any success speaks to how he is with the Force. Overall, the Force connection that Luke has is one of the most powerful when compared to the Force-wielders that came before or after his time.

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In terms of an X-Factor, Thel's rank of Arbiter is perhaps the stand out of all these factors. The rank of Arbiter during his time were given to disgraced Sangheili as a means of regaining their family honor through death by going on suicidal missions. Despite this, this rank is held in high esteem and has some degree of military command. This is thanks to their skill often being used to keep the Covenant from fracturing. This has caused by many members of the Covenant to see the Arbiter as their 'savior' and considered by their peers as the 'Will of the Prophets'.

For many soldiers in the Covenant, the Arbiter has the ability to install morale into even the strongest or weakest of soldiers in a battle. In a religious significance for the Covenant, the word 'Arbiter' means 'one who judges' with Thel being shown to be true to this title. He will often negotiate with some of his enemies such as the Yanme'e and will only kill when he's forced to do so. This was shown along with part of his own personality when he tried to reason with Tartarus in the control room of Installment 05.

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 _Verdict:_ This has been one of the hardest parts to research as the X-Factors for Thel are hard to come by and the only real factors I found were his rank of Arbiter and his potential willingness to survive. Out of the two, I had more to go on with the Arbiter rank as this willingness to survive is mostly from speculation and what he's done. In addition, it also could shape how this fight goes as Thel could try to negotiate with Luke in order to avoid the fight. Even if the negotiations fail, this will still factor into the fight as both would be trying to end the fight quickly and would only kill if they have no alternative.

Despite this, Luke has an X-Factor that gives him an advantage in a battle as his connection to the Force gives him extraordinary abilities that Thel wouldn't be able to counter with his equipment. In this case, it comes down to a factor that could shape how the battle goes and a factor that can turn the tide of the fight. While how this battle plays out will be influenced by Thel's Arbiter ranking and how he goes into a fight, Luke simply has a factor that gives him an advantage during battle.

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 **Category Edge Recap**

Physiology: Thel 'Vadam

Battlefield Experience: Thel 'Vadam

Strengths/Weaknesses: Luke Skywalker

Abilities: Luke Skywalker

Powers/Weapons: Thel 'Vadam

X-Factor: Luke Skywalker

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 **Verdict:** This battle has been delayed for nearly eighteen months now due to many outside factors in my life and has been one of the most interesting to research so far. I knew about Luke Skywalker and what he has been able to do in the Legends canon, but I knew nothing about Thel 'Vadam and I've enjoyed learning about him as a character. These two are swordsmen who have fought for both sides of the wars they've taken part in and have taken orders from those who they will eventually kill. 'Vadam may have more battlefield experience and a better physiology, but Luke has abilities that can change the tide of the fight in his favor.

However, I believe that both wouldn't fight each other due to how these two approach a battle. For Luke, he would try to turn his opponents to his side such as he did with his father, yet he's willing to fight and kill his foes should the situation take a turn for the worse. Similarly, Thel will negotiate with his foes to potentially avoid a fight and would only kill his foe if he is forced to do so. As both are willing to bring about a peaceful end to the situation, I'm more than willing to believe that the fight would end before it even began though peaceful means.

However, should these two not have a choice but to fight each other, then Luke would be able to deal with what Thel is bringing to this match up. While the Sangheili may have the greater physiology and natural abilities, the Force Augmentation of the Jedi allows him to match and even surpass these natural advantages. 'Vadam may have more weapons than his foe, but Skywalker has a single weapon that simply outclasses what he is bringing. This is just a small sample of examples, as what it comes down to is that the Force gives the Jedi an advantage that the Sangheili simply can't match.

If these two were to battle each other, it would start at long range with Thel using either the Type-25 Direct Energy Rifle or the Type-51 Carbine. Despite how powerful these weapons are, Luke would use his lightsaber to deflect the shots from the "Plasma Rifle" and Tutaminus to absorb the shots from both weapons. In my opinion, the most likely scenario at this point is either Luke using the Force to rip the weapons from Thel's hands or use Force Speed to reach him and uses his lightsaber to destroy the firearms.

Ultimately, this battle would end in close range with Skywalker using his lightsaber and 'Vadam using the Prophet's Bane. Even if the Sangheili gets the upper hand, the Jedi can use his Force abilities to turn the tide of the fight. Both of them have similar armor which means that the material will block light blows from their opponent's weapon. How this battle will end is one of two possible ways. The first is Luke cutting off Thel's arm before Force Pushing him into an object. The second, and more likely scenario, is Luke manages to disarm his foe of his weapon and following it up with a final strike.

 **Possible Winner:** Luke Skywalker

Please note that this is just my opinion. I know that some people would say the Thel 'Vadam would win against Luke Skywalker, which is why this is called GT25's Battle Series, not so-and-so's Battle Series.

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Have a hypothesized battle that you want to see? Leave the battle in the reviews or PM me and I would be happy to do it.


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